


5 Times Husk Acts Like A Dad And The 1 Time He Gets Called Out For It

by RoboDayDreamer



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Alastor is bad at feelings but he knows what they are, Alastor murdering someone and being covered in blood, Angel Dust is literal sin and I love him, Charlie is tired and trying her best, Concerned Husk, Everyone sees it but him, Husk Being Husk (Hazbin Hotel), Husk being a dad, I see a lot of Alastor being a dad, Niffty is an adorable psychopath, Please bear with me I'm not very good at writing, Protective Alastor (Hazbin Hotel), Protective Husk (Hazbin Hotel), Soft Husk (Hazbin Hotel), Swearing, Vagge is angry and so am I, Vox is in here for like a paragraph, why not husk too
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:34:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22931857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoboDayDreamer/pseuds/RoboDayDreamer
Summary: Sometimes it's nice just knowing you have someone you can lean on, even if it's not someone you would expect.
Relationships: Alastor & Husk (Hazbin Hotel), Angel Dust & Husk (Hazbin Hotel), Husk & Charlie Magne, Husk & Niffty (Hazbin Hotel), Husk & Vaggie (Hazbin Hotel)
Comments: 78
Kudos: 351





	1. Niffty

“Higher, Husk! I can almost reach it!”

“...Yeah yeah, hold your horses. Just don’t hit me with that thing, a’right?”

Niffty giggled, glancing down at her fluffy helper. Though she’d keep that part to herself since he wasn’t very fond of any of them calling him fluffy. It made him sound too soft, even though he was! She’d never understood why he couldn’t just take that as a compliment! There was nothing wrong with having soft fluffy fur!

“No worries, I’ve got a good grip on it so I won’t drop it on you!” She waved the offending ‘thing’ around in the air as if she were brandishing a weapon. 

She knew he wouldn’t put it past her to have used any cleaning utensils for evil… especially her ‘dreaded’ feather duster. It was one of her favorites after all… not that she could say why. She just always happened to have it on hand. 

That and her handy dandy needle of course! She’d let everyone think stabbing bugs was her only ‘violent’ trait (unbeknownst to her, they already knew better).

Niffty snapped back to attention when the demon holding her up released a gruff sigh and muttered, “Your grips not really why I’m worried, Nif… you’re swingin that thing around like you’re trying to fight some invisible force. You basically fuckin annihilated that cobweb and sent it to its own webby dusty grave… and probably its own personal feather duster filled hell.” 

“Cobwebs have their own hell too? I’m not surprised, they’re a nuisance! Always taking up space and being dirty and gross… They need to suffer for making me have to clean up after them all the time!”

“...Niffty. You _like_ cleaning.”

She gave a firm huff and crossed her arms, eyes narrowing as she set her gaze back onto the now spotless ceiling. This particular cobweb had chosen a more barren corner of the hotel, one that didn’t lend her any chairs or paintings or even one measly piece of furniture to climb up on to get to it. 

The thing deserved to _perish._

Husk shifted beneath her, interrupting her thoughts once again. She glanced down, only now noticing him peaking up at her from beneath her dress. Her annoyance almost immediately flickered out of existence at his expression. 

His brows were furrowed into a look of concern that could have easily been mistaken for their usual moody furrow of aggravation if it wasn’t for the dilation of his pupils and the downturn of his large ears. 

His mouth was pulled into a more gentle frown, one that didn’t force his fur-covered skin to pull into almost dramatic-looking wrinkles. That happened when he frowned almost comically to spite Alastor when he would tell their feline friend to smile. That or when he would scowl at virtually anyone or anything just because he could. 

“...Ya want me to fuck up the wall?”

She could feel her eye widen, jaw-dropping open before she could catch herself. Lady’s shouldn’t let their mouths hang open, it was rude after all! Where was she? Oh, right!

Had she heard him right? “You want to… destroy the wall?” That would just be making a much bigger mess! Why would he want to make a mess after they just made this wall and ceiling sparkle?

Niffty watched him look away, shoulders hunching defensively. He wouldn’t meet her surprised gaze, his wings twitching as his tail swung restlessly behind him. He looked…. embarrassed?

Was he embarrassed? Why would he be…

Oh…. _OH._

She felt a wide smile tug at her lips as she bent down to give him an affectionate pat on the head. “Aw, Husk! You don’t have to beat up a wall just because it collected gross icky cobwebs! After all, it’ll just lead to an unnecessary mess that I’ll just end up cleaning anyway-!”

She gasped theatrically, “You’d beat up a whole wall just for me! That’s so sweet and really really pointless, but still sweet! Am I rambling I feel like I’m rambling-”

She cut off when she realized he was trying to escape into the confines of his wings.

Her smile softened, “Let me down please?”

Husk tensed beneath her as if weighing his options before letting out a defeated sigh. 

She let his grip on her legs travel to her waist, watching his claws flex before lifting her up as if she were weightless (and to him she probably was). Once he placed her down, she turned around to face him. 

Husk. Always so temperamental. He’s a drunkard. He’s a gambler. He’s a war veteran. He’s the definition of self-loathing. He swore like a sailor and liked to remind everyone that he didn’t give two fucks about anyone or anything.

Husk. Who was everything demons thought he was… _And so much more._

She considered herself one of the lucky few that got to see him for who he was. There was so much more to their friend than what he showed on the surface! 

Husk, the demon that listened to her ramble on and on for hours. The demon that helped her reach for things she couldn’t. The demon that kept her in mind when she forgot something in her haste to spruce up the hotel. The demon that wouldn’t hesitate to go shopping with her for cleaning supplies, grumbling aside (he refused to let anyone else carry her bags, knowing full well it made her happy). The demon that let her use him as a model for her sewed creations as he was draped across the countertop of the bar. The demon that would beat up someone or _something_ just because she was pouting about it as if it had actually offended her…

Husk… He was acting so…

Niffty’s soft smile stretched across her face as her arms reached up towards her companion, hands making grabby motions.

Husk’s eyes widened, his ears pressed down flat against his head as he blinked owlishly down at her in confusion. He moved to bend to her level without hesitation.

Her arms wrapped around his neck in a hug, burying her face into the soft fur of his neck.

She could feel him tense, his paws most likely hovering in the air around her awkwardly. She only tightened her hold around him, sighing happily. 

A warm feeling spread throughout her chest when his arms encircled around her tiny form, bringing her closer and into a very gentle reciprocation of her embrace. 

She hadn’t felt this feeling in a very long time… 

Hell was a horrendous place. You had to kill or be killed. If you didn’t find yourself, somebody else would and they would mold you and use you and abuse you. 

At that point, you could only hope that your aggressor tired of you quickly so you could be thrown away like trash. Or you’d have to hope for the next extermination to either make your escape or die by an angel's spear. Or… you could be like her and be found by the right demon.

A flash of a sharp smile and red glowing eyes made her grin into the fur of Husk’s neck.

She was happy. She considered herself lucky to be where she was today. To be found by a certain overlord. To have made so many new friends… To have her Husk.

He made her feel like she was being hugged by… her father. 

He _could_ be her dad… 

Right now, he _was_ her dad. 

“Thank you, Husk.”

There was a pause long enough for her to believe he wouldn’t respond before she felt him shift. She found herself seated on one of his legs as he continued to hug her, now settled more comfortably on the floor. 

“...any time, Niff.”

He may not really understand why she was thanking him, but that was okay. He could assume she was just appreciative of his offer.

When in reality…

She was appreciative of him.


	2. Charlie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it's nice just knowing you have someone you can lean on, even if it's not someone you would expect.

Tap… Tap… Tap...

He was doing it again….

Tap… Tap… Tap…

Deep breaths Charlie. Deep breaths. He’s not doing anything wrong. It’s obviously a nervous tic…

Tap… Tap… Tap… Tap… Tap…

Was her eye twitching? She hoped it wasn’t. It might make him think she wasn’t being sincere. She wanted him to join their hotel! Rehabilitation was a very serious matter and she would have to really sell it for anyone to want to change for the better.

Tap… Tap.. 

All he had to do was sign the form and then they could get started-

_**Tap…** _

Before she could process what happened, her hand had snatched the pen from between the demon’s fingers, successfully startling him out of his uninterested daze. Welp, at least the irritatingly loud tapping had stopped...

With a sheepish grin, Charlie placed the pen back down next to the sheet of paper. “Ahem, uhm… sorry about that…heh. So! Have you finished reading our terms and conditions? I know you’ll love it here! Do you have any questions? Maybe you could tell me more about yourself! Then we can make a game plan! Once you sign, you’ll be on your way to redemption in no time!”

The demon blinked at her before shifting in his seat anxiously. “Actually… I just wanted a free place to crash and some food, but uhhh… I think I’d be better off fending for myself on the streets.” 

With that, the demon almost threw himself out of his chair in his haste to get as far away from Charlie as possible.

Which was pretty rude…

He probably wasn’t trying to get away from _her_! No! It was probably the thought of all of the work he’d have to do to better himself! That could be pretty intimidating.

Yeah.

Definitely.

Now that she was alone, she allowed her pin-straight posture to droop and her smile to fall. She felt exhausted. This was the tenth demon today!

Yes, they had residents and that was amazing, but so many demons were extremely hard to convince.

Was it that they didn’t believe in her _cause_ … or that they didn’t believe in _her_?

No! She couldn’t think like this! Her parents weren’t here. Hell wasn’t doubting _her_ , they were doubting _redemption_! She could convince them! She was sure she could!

Charlie pushed back her chair and stood, taking a moment to stretch out a few of the kinks in her back before making her way out of her office. That was her last appointment for the day, and to be honest, she could use a drink…

She didn’t want to bother Vaggie with her thoughts of self-doubt. She was supposed to be the positive one! She couldn’t go back to calling her mother for advice, she was an adult! She could handle this herself, she’d show everyone that redemption is possible! 

Besides… Her mom was always so busy and her dad… 

With another shake of her head, she realized she’d made it to the bar and was being scrutinized by the only demon manning it. 

Husk wasn’t the friendliest front desk associate slash bartender, but he knew how to do his job… when he wasn’t completely plastered.

Luckily, that didn’t happen as often during the day as it did at night when his shift was about to end. She was able to convince him to hold off on trying to drink himself into a coma on the job (did she pay him? she really should… note to self, pay staff). 

She really hoped he wasn’t attempting a permanent death through excessive drinking. Besides, he’d only come back. You couldn’t escape hell through death, though he probably already knew this… she didn’t really want to think about it.

He could honestly hold his alcohol pretty well… and he hadn’t been wasted in a while. At least, not around any of them. Maybe he really was trying to make a change.

Aaaaand he was waving a hand in front of her face. Was he saying something? She should probably be listening, huh?

“-ey, kid? You okay? Anybody in there?”

Charlie plastered on a large smile and laughed, “Psshhhh yeah, of course! I was just thinking too hard! You know how it is! Super busy signing up loads of demons and running a hotel. It can get pretty crazy up in my head with all those thoughts and… stuff… hahah.” 

Husk didn’t look at all convinced if his unimpressed frown was anything to go by.

She rubbed at her arm timidly, smile falling into a grimace. “Am I that obvious…?”

“Princess, if you looked any more tired I’d think you were sleeping standing up. Yer not even convincing yourself at this point…”

Charlie sighed, slumping onto one of the barstools and practically face planting onto the counter. She buried her face into her arms and let herself crumble into her exhaustion. 

She could allow herself a moment of sadness.

The lobby was empty and Husk wouldn’t judge her. He didn’t care enough to judge.

She could breathe.

It was easy.

In and out.

In and out.

“-In and out. C’mon, yer doin fine. Deep breaths.”

What… ? 

There was a warm paw rubbing circles into her back and a voice murmuring words of encouragement into her ear. Was Husk comforting her?

She sniffled, trying to stop her nose from dripping. Oh… was she crying? When did that happen? 

She lifted her head from her arms and… huh. She _was_ crying.

Charlie rubbed at her eyes almost viciously. “Wow! This is embarrassing! Hahah! Sorry, Husk. I guess I just lost it for a second.”

Maybe she could rub her eyes into submission, the tears just wouldn’t stop! She was being silly.

“...Kid… _Charlie. Stop_.”

She froze. He called her by her name. Sometimes she wondered if he even knew she had one since he typically called her kid or princess or your highness.

Fuzzy clawed paws tugged at her wrists, effectively pulling them away from her face. 

Husk was a lot closer than he had been before. She could boop his nose without even having to really reach for it.

With a sigh, the other squeezed at her wrists, creating a gentle pressure that kept her thoroughly distracted. His paws were soft! Was it his heart pads? They were adorable! So cute and so squishy! He probably wouldn’t appreciate her thinking his paw pads were cute, but they really were.

If distracting her from her depressing thoughts was his goal then it was working.

Looking back up, she gulped. Husk was just… staring at her. Intently. 

Was he trying to read her? She wasn’t even really crying now. She’d be fine!

_Sniff._

Damn it.

Curse you nose!

One of Husk's paws released its grip on her wrist to brush her hair out of her face. She winced as the loose strands of hair unstuck themselves from her wet cheek. That didn’t feel at all pleasant. She hated crying. It was the opposite of cool beans! It was hot beans! No! Bad beans! Yeah, heh nice one Charlie.

“Did that last shit for brains give you trouble?”

Charlie tilted her head, her eyebrows almost forming a question mark (if she could see herself she was sure they would be doing that) with how hard she could feel them furrowing. “W...what? Who?”

Husk’s nose crinkled in distaste, “That last demon that just left yer office. Was he the wise guy that made you cry? All of these assholes don’t know what the fuck they’re doing in this sin infested fuckin pit. They don’t know a good deal when they see one, it could literally bite them on the ass and they’d think it was a proposition for Hoola hooping! They can’t take anything seriously. Buncha fuckin nobodies...”

Blinking rapidly, Charlie watched Husk go off onto a tangent….

His free paw waved around as if he was picturing himself clawing at the faces of the demons he was ranting about while his other stayed in its original place, resting on top of her wrist against the countertop of the bar.

He was going off on a verbal rampage… for her?

She glanced down at the paw he left gripping at her wrist. The gentle pressure was soothing in a way that surprised her, especially coming from a demon like Husk.

She could feel a slow smile start to creep onto her face. Maybe she _was_ making a difference. If Husk could learn to trust her enough to show even this much of his soft side… maybe all hope wasn’t lost!

Charlie lifted her hand and placed it on top of the one covering hers, cutting off her friend's rant.

He was protective of her feelings. He felt the need to comfort her and he even let himself support her, whether he believed in her ideals or not. He still felt the need to talk down about the demons that weren’t taking her seriously. Husk was trying to defend her. 

His touch was gentle…

It made her think of her parents.

Maybe the dad she wished she had.

His hand brushing her hair from her face… holding her wrist in a reassuring grip. It reminded her of her mom. 

Heart almost filled to bursting with a warmth that could rival the human sun, she felt her determination and confidence return to her. 

Husk may have tried to fool her with his whole, ‘I lost the ability to love years ago’ shtik, but she wasn’t buying it! He had to care! He just had to!

With a deep breath, she looked up and gave him a bright smile. This one felt much more genuine and was a lot more comfortable to wear on her face. Like it was meant to be there.

Husk’s feathered brows were raised high in surprise, eyes looking from her face to the hand resting over his own and back. 

She hoped he wasn’t uncomfortable. She needed him to know how much he mattered to her. How much his kindness mattered, even if it was in his own way… foul mouthing demons. It counted!

With a loud squeal, she launched herself over the counter and laughed as they both landed in a heap on the floor.

From the perspective of any passerby’s in the lobby, all anyone would be able to see were large wings flapping around in shock while hearing a bout of girlish giggles echoing around the room.

“Thank you thank you thank you thANK YOU!”

“-hOLY SHIT _WHAT THE FUCK!?_ ”

Startling him might not have been the best way to say thank you, but she wasn’t about to let him go anytime soon.

And for all of his loud swearing and squirming, his arms around her back only confirmed that he did, in fact, care about her too.


	3. Vaggie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it's nice just knowing you have someone you can lean on, even if it's not someone you would expect.

Vaggie hissed in pain, trying to jerk her head away from the paws tugging at her hair. “Ouch! You’re gonna rip it out!”

She was pulled back into an upright position when said paws grabbed her shoulders to keep her from moving away again.

“Aren’t you supposed to be some kind of warrior or whatever? Stop being such a fuckin baby and stay still or I’ll end up tearin out your hair.”

Swearing violently under her breath, she tried to do as she was told. 

She wouldn’t even be in this mess if a certain arachnoid would have stayed away from the kitchen in the first place, but nooooo. He just had to try using an electric hand mixer as a massager because that was a spectacular idea! **JUST USE A HAND MIXER FOR THE OPPOSITE OF ITS INTENDED PURPOSE. THAT’LL WORK OUT GREAT!**

****

****

Sarcastic? Her? _Never._

She just happened to be walking by when the damned thing hit her smack-dab in the head, and by then it was too late to stop the carnage that befell her hair. Angel Dust was lucky to have gotten away while she was trying to turn the thing off.

She looked like she had just fought a tornado and lost. Maybe her hair actually resembled the damned tornado itself, she wouldn’t even be surprised at this point.

“...I’d say it’s more like a bird's nest.”

...apparently she’d been thinking out loud.

Crossing her arms, she glared daggers into the carpet. “Thanks… I really appreciate it.”

Husk snorted from behind her. “Yer fuckin welcome.”

Another sharp tug on her scalp made her grunt. He had to be doing this on purpose! _“¡Te voy a dar una hostia que te vas a morir de hambre en el aire!”_ (Translation: I will give you such a slap that you will die of hunger in the air!)

He snorted in what sounded like amusement, she could almost hear the smile in his voice as he responded. “Yeah, good luck with that, kid. I’ve got wings.”

Satan damn it, that’s right. The bastard knew several languages. That took the fun out of everything...

She slumped in defeat, hands clenching on the comforter draped over her bed.

Vaggie bit her tongue when she felt another tug. Okay, that does it. She was gonna let him have it now! He may have offered to help her, but that didn’t mean she had to put up with him bruising her skull. She had a lot of hair, and if he was gonna just rip it out, she’d rather shave it all off to save herself the trouble.

With a deep breath, she opened her mouth to unleash enough verbal slurry to make him regret his ever-present existence in their shared hellscape when she was interrupted by his voice, spoken softer than she thought he was capable of.

“Sorry… Shit’s real fuckin tangled… My claws keep gettin caught in this big fuckin knot… I almost got it. Just sit tight.”

Her mouth shut with an audible click. The fight almost immediately left her body at that point.

That wasn’t very fair… how could one insignificant little apology break her down so easily? Maybe it was the way he said it… as if trying to reassure her. Well, he sure as hell knew what he was doing since he calmed her ass right down. She had to give him props, even though she was pretty sure he had no idea he’d even done it.

She wasn’t about to tell him. The furry old grump didn’t need that kind of power over her, though he’d probably be too lazy to use it. It was the thought that counted!

Suddenly, the stinging tightness that had had a firm grasp of the nerves along her scalp released and she almost broke out into tears. The fucking constant pain was gone! What a relief!

She snapped back to attention when the demon behind her gave a triumphant laugh, “Hell yeah, now we’re gettin somewhere! This thing was really fuckin stuck in there. Almost thought we’d have to give you a haircut or some shit. Now, let’s get the rest of these suckers loose and you’ll be back to chasin Angel around the hotel with that spear of yours in no time.”

Vaggie could feel a smile tugging at her lips. His enthusiasm was contagious…

The claws working at the knots in her hair actually felt pretty nice… now that they weren’t trying to literally tug fucking kitchen equipment out of her hair.

She felt pleasant tingles travel along her scalp as Husk’s claws brushed through her hair, gently loosening knots here and there. The tugs weren’t so noticeable now. 

Closing her eyes, it felt as though someone was playing with her hair. Her body relaxed at the repetitive ministrations and wow… had she really been that tense? 

Charlie was the only one who was allowed to touch her hair. The feeling was extremely comforting. Most of the time she’d wake up in her girlfriend's lap, relaxed and happy. The gentle motions could soothe the worst of the turmoil that raged inside of her head.

Her worries and concerns faded into nothingness.

The claws in her hair traveled from her scalp to the tips of her long tresses, running through it in a way that pushed her locks into several directions before smoothing them back into place.

Was she falling asleep? She couldn’t. Not until Husk was done with her hair.

Which he should have finished by now… what time was it? 

_Wait…_

She struggled to get her mouth to work for a moment, attempting to will away the haziness that had taken over her mind. “...Husk?”

Said demon merely hummed in response.

With a light shake of her head, she ignored his irritated protesting and tried to turn herself around enough to look behind her.

…

Awareness slammed back into her so hard she almost thought she’d been hit by a truck.

He was holding her hair in his paws… Her extremely _well-groomed_ hair, not a single knot visible to her, even from her almost awkward half-turned position.

“Husk… how long have you been done?”

She watched him fidget uncomfortably under her piercing gaze. 

He hesitated, remaining quiet for only a few moments before giving her a scowl. “Twenty, maybe thirty minutes…”

If her demonic form was more snakelike her jaw would have hit the floor. “WHAT??? WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME YOU WERE DONE?”

Was he toying with her? Did he find her vulnerability funny? Just because her scalp was sensitive didn’t mean he could just abuse it for fun!

This is why she only ever gave Charlie permission to touch her hair. Her girlfriend would never do this to her!

Vaggie was sure her face was bright red with how hot it suddenly felt. She was probably steaming, she was so furious.

When he looked away instead of responding, she nearly exploded with rage. Her voice so shrill it could have cracked the hotel’s windows. “ **WELL? ARE YOU GOING TO ANSWER ME OR NOT**?”

Husk seemed to steel himself before locking their gazes. “I didn’t tell you I was done because you liked it. What’s wrong with that? Did I fuck up thinkin you were actually enjoying yourself?” He looked away before catching himself and snapping his gaze right back to hers, as if he were trying to convince himself as well. “Satan forbid, you let yourself have a fuckin moment of peace. There ain’t nothin wrong with relaxing, for Pete's sake! Let yourself have this, or I dunno fuck me I guess.”

With that, Husk crossed his arms over his fluffy chest as if he was daring her to argue with him, feathers ruffled and tail lashing behind him.

For the second time that night, Husk made the flames of her fury sputter out as if he had doused them with a bucket of water. 

She didn’t understand him, not really. From day one, he made it clear he didn’t even want to be here. Hell, he had no problem showing his displeasure toward anyone he didn’t like. Alastor included. She almost respected him when he’d showed how little of a fuck he gave when he pushed the radio demon away like it was nothing.

If anything, he shared more similarities with her than any other demon in this wacky hotel. Minus certain bad habits, of course… They shared a similar temperament. They were both pretty easy to irritate and they had people they wanted to protect, whether they were willing to admit it or not. They were defensive when it came to their comfort zones being breached and they weren’t afraid to fight. Strong-willed, but soft-hearted….?

She felt like he could relate to her… she had a tendency to hide her sadness and anxiety behind her anger. She wasn’t afraid to voice her concerns, but she was afraid of letting them be her downfall. Any demon could use her feelings against her!

Just looking at Husk, she could tell he sympathized with her. He literally wore his heart on his sleeve... paws. He wore his heart on his paws... He may try to hide it, but with moments like these, he showed her who he really was. Or at least, a part of who he really was… After all, she was still trying to figure him out.

She didn’t know much about his past… he didn’t really like to talk about it. 

From the little tidbits of information he’d give them here or there, she only had so many pieces to his metaphorical puzzle. A few of the more obvious ones came to mind. He was a war veteran, he was able to speak multiple languages, he knew his way around a deck of cards, and he liked to perform magic tricks. Like she said… just pieces. 

To her, he was an enigma. 

They all were. 

Their little group of Hazbins were slowly, but surely opening up to each other. Learning little things here and there.

They were almost becoming a family… a really fucked up family, but a family nonetheless.

Mind made up, Vaggie spun back around, allowing her body to relax. Her legs, which had been dangling off the side of her bed, began swinging lazily back and forth. “...Okay.”

The room fell into a tense silence. With every second that ticked by, her chest felt more and more constricted. Maybe he was fed up with her… After all, she yelled at him when he was only trying to be considerate of her. She just wasn’t used to having anyone act so… _parentlike_ … especially towards someone like her.

She felt her face flushing for a completely different reason this time. This was humiliating. She wasn’t quite sure how to handle these kinds of situations.

When she was about to give up on waiting, she felt Husk shift behind her. Heart racing, she anticipated his next move with bated breath.

Claws that were all too familiar to her now slid back into her hair, resting along her scalp for only a moment before they began to run through each strand.

Vaggie let out a shaky breath, relief coursing through her body. The tight feeling in her chest gradually abated, allowing her to relax into Husk’s careful motions. 

It wasn’t long before she was just as dazed out as she had been before. Honestly, with how long it had taken to get the hand mixer out of her hair, she had no doubt that it was way past the hotel’s set curfew. Surprisingly, she couldn’t get herself to care… 

Her hand rose to cover her mouth as a yawn made its way past her lips. She swayed for a moment, before leaning back.

Vaggie ‘s head fell into the crook of what felt like Husk’s neck, her back against his chest. He was warm. Extremely warm and a lot softer than she expected him to be.

“...I’m guessin this means you’re tired, huh?”

She didn’t have enough energy left to feel embarrassed, so she answered with a movement that she hoped resembled a nod of her head. When had she closed her eye again? Ah well, she was too sleepy to be bothered.

“Heh… a’right Vaggie, let’s get you comfortable. Then you can sleep, yeah?”

He made an attempt to pull her up, only to have her whine out a slurred, _“nooooooooo, ‘m comfy right here!”_

She heard him chuckle, the action causing her to bounce lightly against him in the process. “If you don’t let me get you into your bed I’ll tell everyone ya get real cute when yer tired as fuck.”

She snorted, shifting against him to nuzzle her head into the comforting warmth of his fur, “n’body will believe youuu.”

She smiled languidly at his answering laugh, louder and so much brighter than his previous one. He should laugh like that more often… it sounded nice. Like coming home.

...home.

With a sigh, she shifted to look up at him.

He rewarded her with a fond smile, “Ya still with me?”

She gave him a tired grin, “Barely...”

Husk shook his head as if he were exasperated with her childish behavior, but his smile never wavered. “Tell ya what. I’ll make you a deal. You go to bed, _IN_ your bed and not _ON_ me and I’ll play with your hair again sometime. Sound fair?”

Vaggie hummed, making a big show of thinking about his offer. Of course, she’d agree. If he was gonna act like her dad, then she was gonna take full advantage of it. “Weeeeell… fine. That sounds fair… but you have to braid my hair when you do!”

He gathered her up into his arms, giving her a pleased smirk when she didn’t fight back this time. “It’ll be shit, but if that’s what you want that’s what you’ll get.”

She rewarded him with a happy grin of her own. “I doubt it, but you can just put your money where your mouth is.” 

He pulled back her covers before laying her down onto her sheets. “I’m a gambling man by nature, kid. You should know better than to bet on anything with me. But hey, it’s your funeral.”

Was he tucking her in? Holy hell in a handbasket, he was! 

Once he had her settled into bed, he smoothed his hand over a few of the wrinkles on her comforter before nodding to himself. “You gonna sleep or am I gonna have to hypnotize you again?”

Tilting her head, she gave Husk a confused stare before gasping, “You didn’t hypnotize me, I was just really comfortable!”

He waved her off, “Yeah yeah, suuuuure ya were.”

Before she could respond, he silenced her by placing his paw onto her head. He gave her hair an affectionate ruffle, smirking at her indignant squawk before making his way to her door. “G’night, kid. I’ll see ya in the morning.”

Vaggie watched him open her door as she pulled her covers up to her nose. Cuddling up to her pillows, she let out an almost inaudible sigh as the door shut. To anyone else, it was just a quiet exhale, but Vaggie knew better.

_“Night, dad.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone in the comments! I was struggling to finish the next chapter, but all of you were so sweet I HAD TO GET IT DONE!!! I hope you all enjoyed it!
> 
> Alastor's up next and there's a chance it's going to be a lot less light-hearted, but only because it's Alastor... And his mind is literally a whirlwind of nonstop thoughts. I apologize in advance. 
> 
> What to expect: Alastor's bad at feelings and Husk knows he is. It helps that Husk's not too great at them either. 
> 
> What to also expect/my assumptions: Alastor can grasp the basic concept of feelings. He may be detached when it comes to certain things, but that doesn't mean he can't experience them. He lived until he was in his 30's, which gave him enough time to figure out a few things. I assume he had a parental figure (everyone is gunning towards his mother and so am I - I love a good mama's boy, whoops) that he actually cared for. He also murdered enough people to understand how to ACT and how he SHOULD feel, even if he didn't feel or didn't care to feel anything at the time. Getting away with being a serial killer would most likely be pretty hard if he was obvious about it... He's prideful as heck and knows what he wants so I'm gonna lean more towards him understanding emotions and just not feeling them for certain people or situations. He showed us plenty of them in the pilot. I'm not sure how he is with love, but that's what these stories are for, so let's find out together (I'm only halfway done with his huahah help me please)!


	4. Alastor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it's nice just knowing you have someone you can lean on, even if it's not someone you would expect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter took a long time to come out, I hope it was worth the wait!  
> This didn't turn out the way I originally planned.  
> I meant for it to be the shortest chapter, but it turned out to be the longest. My Alastor is apparently very reflective.
> 
> A word to the wise: Don't leave Alastor alone or he'll get lost in thought. Never a good thing.

In all of the years Alastor has spent down in hell, he could honestly say he has never experienced anything quite like _this_ before…

How peculiar… how… what was the word? Surreal? 

...Perhaps.

At times like these, he could justify using a word as _plain_ as surreal. What a terribly boring word to pronounce. So boring, in fact, he felt the corner of his grin give an irritated twitch.

He should really carry on before he lost his train of thought. With thoughts like his always metaphorically derailing, said train would surely spiral out of control, causing mass panic before leading its passengers to their inevitable demise. What fun!

After all, with him in particular, a situation such as this was uncommon. These types of things were generally rare to experience in hell. It was survival of the fittest! Any sinner that ended up here knew this even before they fell, with all of the verbal and written hoo-haw that he could barely give the time of day to. 

He didn’t grant even the slightest hint of those memories a passing thought. Why would he? They were unimportant now. 

He could vaguely remember a preacher, in his mind's eye, speaking of warnings, blasphemy, sins, the word of god. Oh, the finality! Oh, the humanity! … Or rather, lack thereof. 

Compassion must have been absent when he was alive. If what he’d done, and he did so with great pleasure, had led him to hell because it was a heinous sin, a crime against a human's moral code, well, he must have been nothing short of a nightmare. 

Could his sentence here be justice for those he murdered? 

No demon should take him for a fool, he knew why he was in hell. Under a higher powers strict and suffocating opinion, this was his punishment. How woefully ignorant these hapless halfwits had been! Did they recognize he was in his element now more than ever? Would his victims be rolling in their graves as their corpses, or what he had left of them, rotted six feet beneath the ground? 

No, unfortunately for them, he wasn’t here to repent. The Radio Demon, as they had ‘lovingly’ dubbed him, wasn’t the type to bend to others' wills so easily. He wasn’t embarrassed to admit that he was a very prideful man. 

Embarrassed? HAH! How laughable! He took **PRIDE** in his pride. He had a preference for being in control, especially when it came to himself and he was more than happy to say he could keep it. He was powerful. He was an overlord. He was a monster.

The form he had been given was supposed to make him rue his wrongdoings, but he had taken his penance as if it were a blessing rather than a curse.

His demon form had been molded after an animal of prey, specifically the ones he had hunted for sport so many decades ago. Deer were very regal creatures and could be swift and rather crafty when on high alert. Graceful and imposing… Heightened senses were always a plus! He’d hunted them for a reason, after all.

He also stood out from just the glow of his eyes, his colors a bright and almost blinding red, not that he was complaining of course! Red was his favorite color… and he was quite happy with the attention! 

When his presence was noticed, the fear that encompassed a lesser demon's mind was so deliciously potent he could almost taste it. They wore their terror like a hat or scarf, as plain as day for all to see. The widening of their eyes, the dilation of their pupils, the quickening of their breathing to match the racing of their hearts, and when they ran away he would struggle to hold back the urge to chase after them… Sometimes he wouldn’t hold back at all. 

He wished he could share such an exhilarating feeling with those around him! The exciting chase, the impending doom as it laps at the heels of his prey, the beautiful long awaited carnage by the end! Not to mention all of the wonderful dishes he could cook up with the remains. 

But wait, he could! He could absolutely share his experiences! Along with his more physical demonic traits, his previous career had also become a part of him… in the most literal sense. His words were now laced with static and he now had an audience he felt an eternal need to charm. And charm he did, through his voice and his victims.

He may have ‘dabbled’ in a _bit_ of voodoo before his death too… Only more positive results for him in the end. He was very fond of his shadows after all…

Though, even he could admit that some of his damnation earned traits were a bit… tedious at times. 

An example? Don’t worry, dearest listeners, you’ll get one! Restlessness! Now, sleeping isn’t what he had in mind here, after all, most weren’t sure he slept at all! He’d keep the answer to that to himself. Sleep, what a vulnerable thing, unless of course you kept one eye… or many eyes open. No no. He was talking about it in a more crawling, itching, or buzzing beneath one's skin kind of sense. 

His body and mind were always working themselves into a composition of organized chaos. How fitting… Organized because he had complete control over his choices, but chaotic due to the more aggressive tendencies that he hadn’t originally had when he was alive… they could be quite messy. Just look at what the blood and viscera of his victims could do to his slacks! 

Belligerence… what an interesting thing to develop in death. He preferred to think of it as wild enthusiasm! 

Off track mullings aside...

This structured mayhem was like music! Something one could feel coursing through their veins that trapped itself in their mind and played them like a puppet! He hoped the music was upbeat and jazzy! A series of sounds that made you want to get up and dance! 

...

Yes… he could say without a shadow of a doubt that he was definitely more restless now as a demon than he had ever been as a mortal man. 

With this constant energy, be it aggression based or not, plaguing his mind he could also say that it only strengthened his cannibalistic cravings. As he had stated before, he had a preference for control. He wouldn’t have it any other way! Yes, he obtained many new features and certain characteristics were only highlighted because of it, but his hunger often took over his every thought if left unchecked. 

He wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth! As far as he was concerned, and he wasn’t the type to feel concern, his increased ‘appetite’ was an added benefit. His hunger had only worsened in hell, but he was hungry for many things… and not just the screams of his victims and their organs. His hunger led him to this hotel after all!

Ah, and what a wonderful place to be… quality entertainment almost quite literally fell into his lap daily! The residents provided much-needed amusement, but he found the best of the best from the hotel's staff, and that included his own comrades that had so graciously ‘volunteered’ their services to help! 

He was delighted by how much they continued to surprise him with their theatrics and silly antics. He felt as though he were in his very own picture show! Not that he’d ever really been interested in anything of the sort, but he could appreciate the thought of a good production! He liked getting his hands dirty, and liked watching others dirty their hands for him even more!

Hah, this hotel was a hoot! 

…

Back to the situation at hand, Alastor could say he found this particular affair to be very unorthodox. Oh! He liked that word! How exciting! Unlike _surreal_. ...Give it a day or two and he’d try the word out again! Give it a second chance. Maybe it wouldn’t disappoint him then as it had now.

His thoughts were scattering again, so much to think about, so little time. Though, he did have an eternity. Oh, the joys of having a mind with cogs that never stopped turning. Like a grandfather clock. Intricate, old, never stopping for even a millisecond. The hands always moving with an ever-present tik tik tiking… 

Speaking of tiking, what time was it? He knew it was well past curfew. A curfew he himself had approved of with their oh so lovely hotel manager. 

He could feel his grin widen, eyes roaming over the empty chairs beside him. They would be at this hour. The dining room wouldn’t have company until that morning for breakfast… no one would dare break curfew for a midnight snack knowing he was loitering here. Not that he wanted to be…

A very persistent pussycat had ushered him into this spacious area and out of the lobby as soon as he had entered the hotel. He’d had quite the hunt and was still reeling from his recent broadcast. 

Although, Alastor had to admit that he hadn’t expected to face off against a fellow overlord tonight. His hunt had led him to a very crowded section of the pentagram, a jig of sorts that he was sure Angel Dust would have attended were he not forced to bed that night by Charlie’s persistence. She could be quite stubborn when it came to her resident’s wellbeing. 

This… what had the spider once called it… a _rave?_ Well, whatever it was ended up being obnoxiously loud, seizure-inducingly bright, and inappropriate! The choice in music was offensive to his ears as well as the utterly repulsive dances its guests were performing.

The demon he’d been chasing had been in their fine establishment earlier that day and had driven Vaggie mad with his endless quips and purposefully clumsy nature. The number of vases they lost that day could have broken a world record. The hilarity! He could have presented the demon with an award for causing her so much trouble!

While he enjoyed a good laugh at other demon’s expenses, certain demons, specifically their little ragtag group, were under his protection. He had eyes everywhere and through his shadows, he could catch just about anything. 

Was he spying? No, don’t be silly! As the hotel’s benefactor, he was just making sure it and its residents were safe and behaving as they should be! 

He could allow a good laugh here or there. A trip, a push, a fall, a smack or a well-aimed pie to the face! A bit of mayhem never hurt anybody and even if it did, if it was them to each other it was fine! 

He’d grown quite fond of his little hazbin’s. They belonged to him and he didn’t care for lesser demons believing they could stick their grimy little hands anywhere near what was rightfully his!

So it had all been fun and games until their guest decided to get handsy when Vaggie was tasked with showing him to his room. Alastor was well aware of Vaggie’s ability to take care of herself, but this was _inexcusable._

When she went to punch the miscreant, he was already being held up against the opposite wall by his neck. Alastor could still feel the others pulse under his clawed grasp as he squeezed, blocking off the demon’s airway. 

Suffocation was a very classic method of murder he could respect, even though it lacked the usual gore his more bloodlust loving side tended to prefer.

Charlie had chosen that moment to appear in a flurry of pacification and before he could snap his fingers and raise his eldritch tentacles to stop him, the demon had successfully fled. He’d received quite the scolding for his efforts, and in front of his peers no less! How tedious… but even he could admit..

It was worth the small smile of gratitude Vaggie sent his way when Charlie had turned her back.

It definitely made his hunt all the more satisfying. Alastor couldn’t just let the demon go. He intended to finish what he’d started. 

To his audience, it was because no demons could ever escape him. The truth? It was for his dearest Vagetha who rarely gifted him with even the barest hint of a grin. 

He did love a good smile! Especially from someone who smiled so little and even more so when it was for him!

Picking out his prey from the crowd and luring him away into an alley had been easy. Cornering him and broadcasting his screams, albeit a bit tougher to discern over the loud music, went as planned. 

The one complication he had was running into Vox during his attempt to stroll merrily away from the atrocious ‘dance party’. That screen faced felon _would_ be seen at a place like that.

They ended up having a bit of a scuffle, causing an absurd amount of property damage before escaping each other. Or Alastor should say, Vox escaping him. And he would say it with great pleasure! Haha! 

For the majority of the time, the two were evenly matched and at each other’s throats. This was common knowledge for those who knew or heard about them. Those that knew better were aware of how Alastor had a way of gaining the upper hand. Through means of trickery or strength, he could best even the toughest of foes! 

While he had won this round, as he had in the past and most likely would continue to do so in the future, this time he came out a tad bit… roughed up.

Their little tousle left him with a torn suit jacket and a few major looking wounds, not that they were. Mere flesh wounds such as these were nothing and would heal overnight. He was far too powerful to bat an eye at a scratch or two… His suit jacket, however… would need a more proper method of mending. 

He could very well just snap his fingers to fix it, but he would ask his little Niffty to do so for him instead. He preferred a gentle touch when it came to his favored items. She could use that needle of hers well. He would know, they’d sewn together plenty of times! 

The sound of something dragging across the floor caught his attention. His eyes flickered over to the dining rooms entrance just in time to see Husk pushing past the slightly ajar door. He was carrying a box under his arm.

Alastor’s blood-red eyes flitted down to the floor, his grin twitching into a smirk. His Husker’s wings were dragging across the carpet. That would explain the sound he’d heard. Was he doing so because he was tired or lazy? Mayhaps, both!

Said feathered feline hefted the box up and onto the table with an irritated huff. Grumbling as he undid the metal fastenings to open what Alastor now assumed to be a medkit of some sort. It looked quite worn, but so did it’s owner!

He made sure to give his usually drunken companion a wide grin as he watched him rummage around in the kit. “Husker, my good man! Is this why you pulled me aside and banished me into this desolate room? I hadn’t the faintest idea you cared so much!”

Alastor felt a smug sense of satisfaction bubble up into his chest at the other’s obvious displeasure. His furry friend’s fiery temper was so very entertaining. He could always rely on his dearest Husker to liven up any situation. After all, that’s why he brought the old veteran here to begin with. 

He was so easy to rile up and he gave the most splendid reactions! Oh yes, his oldest friend was quite a riot!

Husk squinted at him as he pulled out item after item and lined them up in an unorganized fashion along the surface of the table. “If I cared any less I’d be dead,” he muttered with a grimace.

Blinking owlishly in response, Alastor chortled, “Well, since you ended up here, I can see how well that worked out for you the first time!” 

He watched delightedly as Husk’s shoulders slumped, his grimace turning into a scowl as he hissed out what could only be a multitude of swears. It was a bit hard to tell, seeing as to how he was speaking in another language. Husk never ceased to amaze him.

Leaning forward, he eyed the array of medical supplies with no small amount of interest. What in Satan's pit was his feathered partner doing with all of this? A better question, where had he found such a collection? 

Had he put this together over time? 

Had he stolen it? 

Why would he need it? 

Alastor knew injuries in hell were common, but even when it came to dying, demons would simply reincarnate or regenerate. There wasn’t much of a point in licking one’s own wounds… it was a pathetic practice for weaker demons.

Glancing back up at Husk, he tilted his head in thought.

He himself was rarely wounded and he hadn’t yet experienced dying in hell. He was far too powerful to fall so easily. 

He allowed his eyes to travel the length of his companion’s physical form as if he could see past Husk’s fur for injuries he knew weren’t there. 

...Pathetic?

Maybe, not.

If his anger at his Vagetha’s expense was anything to go by, perhaps it fell along the lines of those he had placed within his circle.

Was he in Husker’s circle? Wasting his supplies on a demon whose wounds would heal within hours… sometimes even minutes. 

Alastor supposed it chalked up to those that mattered. Charlie, Vaggie, Niffty, Husker, and even Angel Dust were demons he had grown quite fond of for example. They’d found a way into what was left of his cold dead heart. He thought he misplaced that thing ages ago! Color him surprised!

His Husker cared more than he was willing to admit. How intriguing. Though, he shouldn’t be surprised. This wasn’t the first time something like this has happened, but it is the first time Alastor was willing to really acknowledge it.

He and Niffty were the more fun-loving of the three of them! He often referred to Husk as their beloved babysitter. The old cat’s expressions were so very comical! As was what he hid beneath the surface.

Alastor always did fancy a good puzzle.

And an amusing puzzle he was to figure out! 

Husk gave off quite an uncaring facade, but he would follow them religiously. Even if a fight were to break out, and oftentimes someone was in the process of getting slaughtered by Alastor himself, he would jump in without a second thought.

His two companions were so very loyal. Husk could try to play the part of a crotchety war veteran, but Alastor knew the truth. After all, the poor man wore his heart on his sleeve… _literally._

Niffty scraped her knee? Husk was there. Alastor sliced open the palm of his hand to perform his usual blood magic? Husk was there. Hissing and spitting or grumbling and rolling his eyes. If Husker was present, he was there to scold you for being an idiot while simultaneously tending to whatever injury had been inflicted.

It was easy to overlook when said demon was so very adamant on keeping an ill-tempered profile.

Speaking of ill-tempered demons, his Husk was looking very unimpressed.

“Are you done internally monologuing? I have shit to do.”

Alastor felt his eyebrow raise, “Oh? And what would that be, my friend?” He made a show of looking around the room to grind the other’s gears. “I don’t see hide nor hair of this ‘shit’ you speak of.”

Husk ran a clawed hand down his face with a long-suffering sigh, “Okay, look. It’s late. You’re making me regret trying to help you. Just, let me do this and then we can both fuck off. Deal?”

Alastor’s grin turned sharp, “Oh, my Dear. You know better than to make deals with the devil.”

He watched Husk roll his eyes, though the nervous twitching of his tail didn’t go unnoticed by Alastor’s ever-watchful gaze.

He graciously decided to keep the knowledge of his friend’s blunder to himself. Having an animal-like body was tough. As he had stated before during his usual neverending train of jumbled thoughts… what had Husk referred to it as? _Internal monologuing?_ Animalistic traits could be a blessing and a curse.

He’d spare his poor Husker the torment… for now.

“Yeah yeah, I know. Sellin your soul is bad - _blah blah blah_ \- making deals is a deadly practice and all that bull malarkey!” 

By the time Husker finished his dismissive retort, Alastor was hooting with laughter at Husk’s use of the word ‘malarkey’ and he only laughed harder when his feline friend snorted in response. 

Wiping a tear from his eye, the radio demon waved a hand in the air. “Yes, my Dear. It is very deadly.” He sat up straight, running his clawed hands against his dress shirt as if he were flattening out any wrinkles. “Now, where were we? You were going to waste your time fixing me up?”

Alastor glanced back up in time to see Husk’s small smile fall into a hard frown. Curious… 

He raised both of his hands in the air this time, his eyebrows following suit. “Come now my friend, why the long face?”

Husk seemed to study him for a few moments, his honey-colored eyes roaming over what he knew was an impressive smile and an oh so handsome face. Hah! 

His harsh frown became gentle as he moved his gaze back to his medical supplies.

So very curious…

“Look… Al.” Husk traced one of the various bottles with a claw. “I’m not an idiot. I know we all heal. It’s not rocket science.” His claw prodded at the bottle, pushing it until it was teetering back and forth, upright only by gravity and Husk’s light pushing. “You’re strong. It takes no time for you to get back on your feet. Hell, you’re never off your feet to begin with! You get fucked up and you’re off onto the next clown you can find to keep you entertained!”

He put the slightest bit more pressure on the bottle, not even trying to stop it when it tilted over with a _smack_ onto the table.

Alastor couldn’t help imagining him batting it over like an actual cat would do… he was sure Husker had done so in the past. Could he get him to do it again?

Husk caught his attention once more with a heavy sigh. “When we were all alive, bandaids and treating wounds… it was what we had to do. I know it ain’t the same down here, but having some humanity isn’t so bad.” He wrinkled his nose, staring at the fallen bottle intently. “Charlie may be out of her element down here, but she’s pretty… human? Has a heart? I dunno.”

Crossing his arms, he seemed to struggle with what he was trying to say. “I’m not good at this shit…” He turned to catch Alastor’s gaze, his eyes again searching for answers the overlord wasn’t sure he would be able to provide.

“I…” Husk huffed, his face relaxing from his frustrated pondering. “I’m not saying I have hope for hell. I think our band of nitwits are special… Trust is tough to find down here. Fuck, it’s nearly impossible to sleep without having one eye open… if you even have eyes.” 

Alastor couldn’t help the eyebrow waggle he sent Husk’s way and didn’t try to hold back his smirk when Husk reacted with a grin of his own. 

This wasn’t the time to interrupt his companion’s explanation. He himself was extremely curious and he knew if he distracted him, Husk would clam up and immediately try to escape their conversation. He rarely opened up. Alastor could spot an opportunity from a mile away.

That didn’t mean he couldn’t encourage Husk’s clever jokes by rewarding him with a self-satisfied look. 

Husk took a step closer to him, his arms uncrossing as he came to stand beside him. “What I’m trying to spit out over here, is that demon or human, taking care of the people you _don’t fucking hate_ isn’t a bad thing. I did it when I was alive. I’m doing it when I’m dead. And I’ll be damned if your stubborn ass won’t let me do it to you now.” He gave Alastor a glare. “So sit still and let me bandage the fuck out of your booboo’s you absolute jackass.”

Oh, what a turn of events!

He was right, never in his ever-present existence in hell has he ever experienced quite a peculiar occurrence.

Was he blinking? No, no he wasn’t. His eyes were actually quite wide, had his Husker surprised him so much? 

Or was he trying to distract him? Coax him into a comfortable space and treat him with a genuine kindness he only typically received from demons who were attempting to stay on his good side…?

That didn’t sound like Husk. Husker didn’t care to play those games. Cards, sure! But not kissing up to more powerful demons to stay alive. That wasn’t him at all.

So what did this mean?

Husk was being quite… nurturing? Paternal? Parental?

Should he remind him that he was older? He may have died younger, but he had still been born years before. Though they matured through very different experiences, Husk through the crippling horrors of war and he through… well. He didn’t want this to be about him. 

And wasn’t that a surprise! Had his dearest friend's tactic worked? 

“Well? What, cat got your tongue?” Husk looked very smug right about now. 

Two could play at that game, old friend.

“Ohoho, Husker my fanatical fellow! Did you compare yourself to Charlie, my Dear? If you wanted to have a heart to heart, all you had to do was ask! I know she’d be more than happy to take you under her wing. Why don’t I go get her for you?”

He made a big show of pushing out his chair to do just that and wasn’t at all surprised when Husk flailed out his hands to stop him.

“No no nope, fuck that noise. Stop right there! That’s not what I was getting at and you fucking know it!” Husk placed his hands over his hips and Alastor could almost feel the disapproval emitting from his stance alone.

“Sit down and let me see the damage. You can try to get out of this as much as you want, but I already gave you what you wanted. Me humiliating myself with shit that _will not_ leave this room, do you hear me?” Had his Husker just wagged his finger at him? By golly, he did! “Not that anyone would believe you anyway.”

This was simply too much! He thought his powers had been a blessing? Oh no! If he didn’t hate the mere mention of that TV headed ingrate’s name, he would be shaking his hand and thanking him for the papercuts he inflicted onto his torso! Otherwise, he’d never have gotten to live through this spectacular set of circumstances! 

“You might not like this, but you’re gonna need to take off your shirt.”

Blinking a few times to process the request, Alastor glanced down toward his dress shirt. Ah, it was quite dirty. Bloodied up and torn here and there. He supposed it would have to come off eventually.

He looked back up and furrowed a brow, his grin turning just the slightest bit sideways. “Oh? Would you like to take it off for me?” He couldn’t help messing with Husk, even now. 

With a scowl, Husk tilted his head. “What, are you offerin or somthin? I’ll take it off for ya if that’s what you want. It just needs to come off, you wiseguy.”

There was that wonderful attitude! So refreshingly snarky.

With a chuckle, Alastor began to unbutton his shirt, starting from the top. He knew he could trust Husk. This wasn’t for perverse purposes, and his feline friend didn’t care enough to put energy into that kind of thing. Eugh… _disgusting_.

Aggressively shooing those thoughts from his mind, he shrugged off the ruined garment and folded it neatly, placing it onto the table. He made sure to keep it away from the first aid supplies, not wanting to ruin any of Husk’s items.

“There. Are you satisfied?” Looking back up toward Husk, he made himself comfortable. He could push his chair back in, but it would be harder for his companion to get to him if he did.

“Yeah, that’s perfect. Scoot your chair to the side a bit. It’ll be a pain in the ass wrapping you up if my wings are getting squashed by the table.”

When Alastor did what he was asked, Husk picked up a hand towel and held it up. “I gotta go wet this. Don’t go anywhere.” 

When he turned to most likely head to the kitchen, Alastor snapped his fingers, watching Husk jump with an amused smile. “You needn’t travel so far, my friend! Simply ask and you shall receive!” He was feeling very generous, after all. His Husker was putting him in quite a lovely mood!

Holding up the now wet towel, Husk turned back to face him. “Uh… thanks.” Moving forward, he reached out and held his paw open. “I’m gonna have to touch you a lot for this. Gimme your hand.”

Usually, Husker wouldn’t ask. He would push him away or try to claw at Alastor’s person, though it was usually to get said demon off of or away from him. Husk never touched him if he could help it, something Alastor greatly appreciated.

Whether it was because of fear, not wanting to be bothered… or if he may have even respected Alastor’s touch repulsed nature.

At the moment, he seemed to be treating his discomfort in a respectful manner.

“Just watch your claws! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

“You wouldn’t be doing anything like this, and you know it.”

He gave a theatrical gasp. “You wound me, good sir! And here I was, letting you tend to my cuts and scrapes! How cruel. I would protect you in a crisis. Just what kind of friend do you think I am?” 

He laid one hand over his heart and the other out in the air for Husk to do as he needed.

Husk snorted, “My apologies, your majesty. Of course, you would because you’re oh so charming and brave and selfless.” His reply was heavy with sarcasm as he focused on the task at hand. Grasping Alastor’s arm, he scrubbed at the dried blood. Alastor couldn’t help taking note of just how gentle Husk was being.

He felt his own grin soften and decided to remain quiet while Husk moved on to his other arm. For once, his own thoughts were silent, a faint white noise residing in his skull rather than the blasting trainwreck he was used to. Or was it a clock? Tik tik tik toking away…

His eyes drooped as Husk placed his other arm onto the armrest of the chair and snapped his fingers again without having to be asked. He may be relaxed, but he wasn’t at all unaware. He knew the towel would need to be wrung out with how filthy it had become. Had he really lost so much blood?

Funny thing, flesh wounds.

Alastor’s attention snapped back to Husk when he got onto his knees in front of him. His own posture couldn’t be straighter, but he still felt as though he should move to accommodate the other better. 

The towel was placed carefully onto his stomach and held there. He knew the largest of his gashes were there and tried not to laugh. Husk most likely wouldn’t find this very funny. 

“My Dear, must you be so gentle?” He wasn’t complaining. In fact, he was grateful. He just wanted the concerned expression on Husk’s face to disappear. The turning in his own stomach... was it guilt…? No. 

He didn’t feel guilty about his injuries, as tedious as they were. However, he most definitely did not want Husk to look so… _worried_ for him. 

Alastor wasn’t a child. Not anymore. He hadn’t been for a very long time.

Husk wasn’t his father, not that he’d ever known his father.

But Husk wasn’t his mother either.

This feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wasn’t his usual hunger. Nor was it disgust or guilt. 

This feeling was confusing. He almost wanted it to stay as much as he wanted it to go.

Was he pleased with Husk’s concern? Happy to have someone worrying about him? Unhappy with upsetting him, but irrationally overjoyed with his attention?

Oh, good heavens. What was happening to him? It couldn’t be the bloodloss, he’d lost a limb once and hadn’t even batted an eye. Alastor barely even remembered it happening.

“Al? You still with me?”

Husk’s voice woke him from his newly buzzing thoughts. He was holding up gauze in one of his paws. Had he already finished cleaning him off?

Looking down, Alastor’s eyes widened. His torso and arms were free of blood, his gashes and cuts were shining wetly, and the smell of antiseptic assaulted his nose. He could feel a faint stinging sensation now that he had tuned back in.

“Yes, I’m here. You’ve certainly done a wonderful job if I do say so myself!” He had to give credit where credit was due. Husk definitely did a better job than he expected.

Husk eyed him for a moment before gracing him with a soft smile. “Yeah, well. I know a thing or two about this stuff. Came in handy, back in the day.”

Alastor’s eyes flitted down to Husk’s mouth, taking in his rare expression. His chest ached for a moment, an almost nostalgic feeling was filling up his senses.

Returning Husk’s smile with a more gentle grin of his own, Alastor clicked his claws against the wooden armrest. 

“I have no doubt about that, my feline friend. I’m sure you were quite the nurse.” Mockery wasn’t at all present in his tone. This seemed to startle the docile demon in front of him.

“U-uh… Yeah. Yeah it was pretty useful…” Seemingly blinking himself from his surprised stupor, Husk went back to patching him up. He worked on his arms first, wrapping the gauze around his forearms snuggly, but not tight enough to hurt.

As he did so, he murmured reassuringly, even though Alastor never made a sound to signal pain or discomfort of any kind. 

Husk seemed to be very intuned with his body. If he twitched even the slightest bit, Husk would pause or apologize and try to be even gentler in his ministrations. Alastor almost wanted to stop moving altogether, seeing as to how he was fine and Husk was worrying for nothing.

But would that mean Husk would stop worrying altogether?

Why did the thought bother him so much? Why did he want Husk to worry?

“I have to do your chest and stomach next. Try to stay still for me, okay? I’m almost done.” Husk was still being oh so patient and reassuring. 

Alastor was getting that niggling feeling in the back of his head again. 

“This might tickle.” Was his only warning before the soft feeling of Husk’s fur grazed his ribs.

He blinked a few times, looking down at the others tophat-less head. “Husker, you know more than I that you are the ticklish one.”

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that and you’re gonna keep that shit to yourself. If Angel ever finds out, he’ll try to pull a fast one on me.”

“I believe Charlie should be your number one concern. Angel Dust can be evaded by you, but we all know you wouldn’t be able to escape Charlie’s eager grasp.”

Husk paused before leaning forward to rest his head against Alastor’s chest, groaning almost dejectedly. “Fuuuuck, you’re right.”

Tuning out his friend’s grumbling, Alastor’s hand hovered over Husk’s head, his finger’s twitching as a memory resurfaced. 

Oh… so that’s what this feeling was.

A warm smile spread across his face as he eyed his companion. How sentimental… he should have realized this sooner.

He let his hand drop down to rest on top of Husk’s head, gently petting his fur as he allowed the memory to take hold.

The sound of a melodious laugh made his chest warm, the feeling of soft locks between his fingers, and the comforting patting of a hand against his knee caused him to lean ever so slightly closer.

In his mind’s eye, a woman was crouched in front of him, allowing him to hug her close as she reassured him that his scrapes would feel better soon. That it was alright to cry and not to worry, she was there to take his pain away. She would always be there. She would always love him. _“Alastor, Darling it’s alright. I’m here mon fils. I’m here.”_

“-Alastor?” 

The spell was broken. With a blink, the memory was gone. The woman was replaced with a winged cat who had moved slightly back to peer up at him. The bandages wrapped securely around his midsection almost made up for the loss.

It was then Alastor realized his hand was still petting the others head. He hesitated for a moment before ultimately deciding it was best if he removed it. Husk wouldn’t understand. He hadn’t seen what Alastor had.

“My apologies, my Dearest Husker. I couldn’t help myself. You know I’ve always liked cats!” His smile stretched wider to accommodate his bluff. He wasn’t lying, not really. He did like cats. 

Especially ones that had a tendency to get drunk, had a skilled hand in poker, and a love of magic tricks. And if they were also grumpy and had wings that they were too lazy to use? Even better!

Husk didn’t seem all too convinced if the downturn of his ears was anything to go by. Concerned again, hm? 

Alastor leaned down to bump their noses together, feeling a swell of pride at Husk’s alarmed jump. “No need to worry, all is well! How could it not be when you’ve taken such good care of me?” 

He took a moment to press their foreheads together. That nostalgic feeling was back. He could almost feel the gentle touch of hands resting along his jawline, thumbs stroking soothingly against his skin. Silky hair that smelled of hyacinth tickling his forehead.

His eyes slid shut, savoring the memory as best he could. It had been so long since he’d allowed himself to remember such precious memories.

Claws sliding into his hair made him tense suddenly, eyes snapping open to meet the bright orangey-yellow irises staring back at him.

Husk no longer seemed to be in a state of shock. From what Alastor could make of it, his expression had relaxed. Moving back slightly, Alastor could see the small smile playing along the other’s lips. 

The claws scratching along his scalp weren’t moving.

Was it because Husk had noticed him stiffening?

Should he let him continue?

…

It had felt quite nice for a moment… Those claws had potential. Husk seemed to know what he was doing.

Alastor allowed himself to relax, eyes drooping shut and head moving forward to gently headbutt Husk. He felt Husk hesitate for a few moments before he resumed, his claws carding gently through Alastor’s bangs.

They sat like this for seconds, minutes, possibly even hours. With Husk running his fingers through his hair and at times along the nape of his neck and shoulders.

The motions were meant to calm him. 

He could honestly say he’d never felt more at ease in his entire afterlife.

It was minutes more, maybe even longer before the clawed paws slowed, stopping to rest over Alastor’s face. The heart pads were like velvet against his cheeks and ultimately very pleasant. 

Husk. His Husk. His terrifically transparent friend. A slothful sinner, so common yet so unique… He could be very much like a certain someone he had cherished oh so long ago… yet so unlike them as well. Not quite them, but at times taking after them.

His dear sweet mother...

Alastor could never forget his mother. 

She knew of his passion to be a radio host and indulged him by letting him prattle on to his heart’s content. She loved him and would listen to him no matter what.

She wasn’t afraid to scold him for his wrongdoings. His mother could be fierce just as she could be protective. She only wanted what was best for him.

His mother was a wonderful cook and made sure to teach him everything she knew. He had been her ‘little’ helper, even as he’d grown taller than her. He was always her helper in the kitchen. Reaching the highest cabinets for her only made him all the happier!

And don’t even get him started on her sewing. She could make just about anything if she put her mind to it. When he had gotten his own radio show, she had been so excited she sewed him a new wardrobe. He personally loved his red vests and had worn them to work every day no matter the weather!

And best of all, she could quell his pain. She was so gentle and patient. When he hurt himself, she was there. When his smile strained, she was there. When slicing the flesh from his victim’s bones wasn’t enough to satiate his hunger, she was there, asking for his help in the kitchen. Distracting him from his unease.

The similarities were there.

Husk knew of Alastor’s profession. He knew he liked to hear the sound of his own voice. He would grouse at him to shut up or huff with a roll of his eyes, pretending to ignore him and his never-ending jabbering. But Alastor knew better. Husk’s body language tended to give him away no matter how hard he tried to hide it under his foul temper. He may have looked away from Alastor, but his ears were attentively facing towards the radio demon. Never twisting in any other direction, always listening to him intently.

Much like his mother, Husk wasn’t afraid to put him in his place. He had no trouble scolding him or calling him an idiot when he did something outlandish. He wasn’t dubbed a ‘babysitter’ for nothing. Husk didn’t care about who he was, if he got too close the winged cat would push him away without a second thought. He was one of the very few demons Alastor allowed to touch him, within reason of course.

When it came to cooking or sewing, Alastor knew Husk could do both. Was he as skilled as his mother? Oh, heaven’s no! Not even close. Husk never bothered to cook, period. He would probably rely solely on alcohol if he could.

Now that he thought about it, Husk could definitely do simple dishes. Niffty had recruited his help several times in the past and he’d done well enough. As far as Alastor knew, he wasn’t actually sure if Husk could cook or bake much in general. He’d have to test this theory...

When it came to sewing, Husk knew how to stitch a demon back together, this Alastor was very much aware of. Again, he never saw Husk stitch anything else, usually leaving the sewing to Niffty when his hat or bowtie needed mending.

Alastor did the same, even though he could repair his own clothing. Like with his jacket, he would much rather hand over anything that needed to be sewn to her. He knew she would appreciate it more if he were to take it to her personally. Trusting her with his things always made Niffty so very happy.

Happy… just as he was right at this moment. Much like his mother, Husk was taking away his pain. Pain that he hadn’t realized was there. He never allowed himself to relax like this. How long had he been ‘running on empty’? Had Husk noticed he needed this? It almost seemed that way.

He had been patient with Alastor’s usual banter and had stayed to tend to his wounds.

He was concerned for him, even when there wasn’t anything to be concerned about.

Husk hadn’t called him out on his odd behavior.

He was considerate of both his touch repulsion and touch starvation. Something he knew wasn’t an easy feat to deal with, but Husk had done so with great care.

His Husker was definitely one of a kind. Maybe not exactly like his mother, but he was close.

Reaching up, Alastor took Husk’s paws within his hands and gently removed them from his face. He brought them down to his lap, holding them even as he shifted to lean back and away from Husk.

Alastor’s eyes opened in time to see Husk’s own blinking up at him tiredly. He could feel his smile twitch at the corners at the sight as he tilted his head, giving the other an affectionate stare. 

It was late, wasn’t it? Or should he say early? Husk would most definitely be fast asleep by now. Or would he be waking up to open the bar?

Mind made up, Alastor released Husk’s paws from his grip and stood up from his chair, his lower back twinging only slightly from his previous position. He ignored this in favor of summoning his shadow to collect his ruined suit and Husk’s medical kit.

He watched Husk grab the table to help himself stand upright and smirked lightly when he stretched. He had no doubt that Husk’s back was even sorer than his.

The warmth in his chest only grew stronger knowing Husk chose to crouch uncomfortably for his sake.

“Let’s get you to bed, Husker.” With that, he wrapped an arm around the other, holding him close as his shadows engulfed them.

It was only a moment or two before they appeared in Husk’s room. The clock on the wall told Alastor that he was correct in assuming it was early. Charlie would be up in just a few hours. He himself would be making his rounds in half the time.

“W-warn a guy first, will ya?” His eyes snapped over to the demon snuggly trapped against him.

“I must have forgotten how dizzy my method of transportation makes you. That wasn’t my intention-”

Husk cut him off with a paw to his smiling mouth. “Whoa, hey. It’s not a big deal. I appreciate you gettin me here at all. I probably would’ve just slept on the table if you didn’t.”

Alastor’s brows furrowed in distaste at the thought, but he kept that to himself. Husk would be sleeping in his bed where he belonged. That was all that mattered.

Guiding him to the bed, Alastor watched as Husk stumbled here and there, his exhaustion becoming more and more obvious.

He knew Husk had been serious about sleeping on the dining room table. He’s passed out in worse places, Alastor was sure. He just hadn’t realized how tired his friend actually was.

As Husk was climbing into his bed, which was more of a nest of pillows and blankets, he struggled to arrange his wings into a comfortable position.

Alastor waited for Husk to get comfortable, only stepping forward once he was sure the other demon had settled.

It wasn’t long before Husk drifted off to sleep, his light snoring the only sound in the dark room.

Raising his hand, Alastor ran his fingertips over the gauze that covered his stomach, his eyes never leaving the others sleeping face.

Leaning down, the hand he had touched the bandages with moved toward the bed’s sleeping occupant.

As he moved closer, a peculiar scent drifted up and overtook his senses. The smell alone stunned him, his hand stilling in midair.

 _Hyacinth._

A sleepy mumble pushed him back into motion, almost willing his hand to keep going.

His touch was gentle as he ran his knuckles against Husk’s fur tenderly. A soft smile tugging at his lips while he swept his fingers through the fluffy tufts by his cheek, imagining he was brushing his mother’s hair behind her ear. 

Alastor’s voice was nearly silent as he murmured, “ _Je t'aime maman..._ ”

Standing up straight, he turned and headed toward the shadows in the darkest corner of Husk’s room. Lifting his hand, he allowed them to seep into his skin, but paused at the sound of a sleepy whimper coming from behind him.

He hesitated before turning his head to look behind him.

Husk had rolled over to face him, his one arm stretched out almost as if he were reaching out to Alastor in his sleep.

Watching him for a moment longer, Alastor’s smile morphed into a pleased grin.

Turning back to the shadows, he stepped into the darkness and disappeared.

He’d let Charlie know that Husk was getting the day off as soon as she woke up.


	5. Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it's nice just knowing you have someone you can lean on, even if it's not someone you would expect.

Angel liked to think he was a pretty charismatic guy. He preferred to have fun. After all, it beat the hell outta being some kinda sad sack.

So you’re in hell, live a little! Why choose to be miserable and boring when you could be happy and as absolutely fuckin stunning as he was?

Yeah, Angel Dust knew he was pretty freakin great.

Well, most of the time.

Some days he wasn’t in the mood to be the life of the party. Yeah, being the most vibrant sonofabitch in this whole hotel- no- _all of hell_ was pretty great! Why be modest when he knew he was a top-class porn star?

He liked his job! There was nothing better than playin with his customers. They paid him, he got to be a sex god and he got pleasure in return. A simple trade-off if you asked him!

The only problem was that while his job could be spectacular, it could also fucking suck. 

What could make his favorite job suck, you ask?

Most would assume it was his pimp.

And they would be right on the money!

Valentino was an obvious problem. If he did what he was asked, and he had no problem doing most anything that was asked of him, everything would be hunky-dory. Val rewarded him most of the time. He wasn’t the favorite for nothin!

If that wasn’t a boost for his pride, well, he didn’t know what was!

Pimp’s were still pimp’s, though. If he didn’t get the money right away, or if he decided to take things into his own hands, Val could get pretty abusive. Do as your daddy tells you and you won’t have to kiss his fist.

That shit was just common sense by now.

It could be as bad as it sounded. It turned something he enjoyed doing into a cesspool of threats, consequences, and sucking up instead of sucking dick. 

Well… okay, sucking dick came with the job. 

It could be fun if he was in the mood for it, but having to do it with rowdy bitches he couldn’t put in their place was a pain in his magnificent ass. His customers got rough more often than not and he just had to deal with it or Val would have his head.

Annoying, yeah, but not usually a big deal. Sure, he’s dealt with the threats and had to pay the price plenty of times. Luckily for him, he could usually evade the worst of it. He could get any customers he wanted, it wasn’t hard. At all. It was actually kind of sad how desperate these chumps were for a little fondling! His chest fluff was pretty nice to grope. He even groped himself! Often. _Really_ often…

Where was he? Oh, yeah!

As long as he got his Daddy his money, things were fine. Val never hesitated to remind him that hell wasn’t a paradise, it was a punishment. 

That didn’t mean he had to take it as one, hah!

His pimp aside, that wasn’t why he was in a bad mood. It could definitely be the cause at times, but he was a resilient spider. He knew how to twist things into his favor and when he couldn’t he was good at shaking off whatever method of discipline he was given.

Nah, it was what came with his job that could blow. And not even the good kind of blowing… 

Angel loved the attention and publicity he got from being a porn star. Limelight and recognition were great! A bonus with being able to do what he did best.

The only problem was the attention he _didn’t_ want or ask for. Demon’s that weren’t interested in being paying customers were like those tag-along friends of your best friend you had to put up with at a club. They drank all your shots, stole all your men, and made you carry their drunk asses home.

Angel usually didn’t give two shits about demon’s propositioning him. He did it himself all the time! He liked sex for the hell of it and he could always get something in return, even if it was just scratching that particularly _deep_ itch.

He had no problems with just about anything that was on the table. Sex was fantastic. It was great. Even more so when he was interested or getting something out of it. The only problem was that there were those tag-along scumbags that didn’t get the fact that he wasn’t always in the mood for it. Which, okay he could honestly get down and dirty to the most insignificant little things, but he knew a scam when he saw one. 

Angel Dust was a lot of things, but he wasn’t stupid. Demons like those wanted to TAKE and not GIVE. They’d demand his services and either try to take what he could give them by force or by false promises. 

He always asked for money upfront because of asshats like this who promised him payment and only ended up ripping his good lingerie instead. 

‘Your payment was my dick.’ Haha that line was so funny he forgot to laugh. _Hope you like led, asshole._

Angel was sick of demon’s like these wasting his time. Val didn’t take kindly to this excuse, so why would he let himself get pushed around? 

He wouldn’t, fuck that. He could take care of himself, he was a mobster for fucks sake. More often than not he’d take care of these nutjobs on his own and after that, they’d leave him alone. 

But there were always those crazy superfans that wouldn’t. The ones that would regenerate and come looking for him because they’d seen his videos and heard amazing things from the customers that swore he’d been a great lay. 

He was an _amazing_ lay, so he couldn’t exactly blame them for wanting a piece of him. They just didn’t _deserve_ him. 

Which led him to his current predicament. A demon that apparently didn’t know what ‘fuck off’ meant. 

He shot this rat bastard in the face days ago, but it apparently hadn’t stuck with the guy that Angel wasn’t interested because he was back again for another beating. 

Angel was happy to give it to him, but it had only been a few hours and the guy was back again! 

Running a hand down his face, he flinched at the pounding coming from the door behind him. The muffled voice of the demon filtered in, causing him to grimace. Was this guy serious? Did he really think flirting would work after all of his slimy bullshit? 

Ugh. Fucking incredible. 

“What’re you doing?” 

Angel jumped with a startled yelp, not at all expecting the voice coming from directly in front of him. 

Snapping his eyes up, Angel sagged back against the door with a heavy sigh of relief. “Husk, holy shit. Ya almost scared the pink outta me!” 

Husk rolled his eyes at him in return, arms crossing over his furred chest. Angel loved that chest. Maybe he could convince Husk to let him brush it and fluff it up a little! 

“My eyes are up here, you perverted fuck.”

Angel couldn’t hold back his grin, his eyes raising back to Husk’s squinting glare. He rose a hand to his head dramatically, swooning, “Oh, but you’re so handsome, babe! I just can’t look away!” 

A snort was all he got for his trouble, but it didn’t at all deter him. Husk always pushed his advances away. It was as refreshing as it was disappointing, but he couldn’t say he had any complaints. 

This hotel was a home away from home for him. He felt safe, and that in itself was a shock. 

He heard Husk stepping away from him and decided that if he was going to the bar, he might as well follow. He could honestly use a drink, something fruity and full of sugar! 

Pushing himself upright, he saw that he’d been right. Husk was already moving back behind the counter, looking just as grumpy as he had since… well… forever he supposed. 

Sauntering his way over, he took a seat right across from him, resting his chin on one of his hands. “So, whose leg do I have to hump to get a drink around here?” 

Husk gave him an exasperated sigh, leveling him with a deadpan look. “Yer real proud a yourself for that one, arentcha?” He leaned away from Angel with a shake of his head, making sure to give him the side-eye as he took a swig from his bottle of booze. _Wow, rude._

Angel Dust smirked, “Yeah, I am pretty damn proud of myself!” He made sure to flutter his lashes, knowing full well it would only irritate Husk more. “There’s nothing wrong with a good hip-thrusting session.” 

Husk’s feather’s fluffed up, his face twisting into a grimace, “What the fuck does that even mean?” With a flick of his clawed paw, he seemed to wave the question away. “On second thought, don’t answer that. I don’t wanna know.” 

Pouting dramatically, Angel huffed. “You’re no fun, toots!” Swiveling in his stool, he crossed his legs coquettishly even though he knew the cat wasn’t at all paying attention to them. 

He appreciated Husk, really. Not only was he fun to fuck with, but he also didn’t expect anything from Angel. It was actually kinda nice. 

“I’ll make you a drink if you answer a question for me.” 

Blinking with a confused frown, Angel Dust nodded slowly. He did want a drink, but he also wasn’t sure what Husk could possibly want to know. He could go into full on flirting mode and act like he was happy Husk wanted to get to know him, but he wasn’t really feeling up to that. 

And he also couldn’t help being curious. Flirting with him more would only lead to Husk kicking him out of the bar. 

To be honest, he kind of didn’t want to be alone right now… he could definitely use the company. And he meant _actual_ company. 

Before Husk could even get a word out, the door to the entrance slammed open, making both of them jump. 

Oh shit, he forgot about that guy… 

Said demon was huffing, his eyes roaming around the lobby before locking onto Angel. The leer he sent his way only made Angel’s skin crawl in disgust. This guy was really starting to get on his last nerve. 

“...I think that answered my question.” 

Angel looked back to Husk, eyebrows raising. What question? He’d never even asked it to begin with, though if he had to assume, it would most likely have to do with why Angel had just about sprinted through the doors earlier. That probably looked pretty suspicious. 

A large meaty hand slapping onto the counter beside Angel made him inwardly groan. His mood, which had lifted thanks to a certain bartender, plummeted right back to the floor. Wasn’t that just peachy? 

He felt the demon press up against his back, his foul-smelling breath ruffling his hair. If he had a nose, it would have been wrinkled in disgust. The only one who could get away with bad breath was Alastar, and that was saying something. The guy literally ate people. 

“Give a spider some space, would ya?” He didn’t hesitate to use his lower arms to push the guy away. The only problem with this was that the guy only pushed right back into his personal bubble. 

“Don’t pretend you don’t want me. You’ve been playing hard to get all week, but I’ve finally got you where I want you.” The demon’s voice was just as grimy as his breath. 

He could only shoot and punch the guy so many times. Would he have to involve Val? He really hoped not. Val was good at scaring off demon’s like this, but he had to be in a good mood to do it. Otherwise, Angel would be the one paying ‘extra’ for his help. 

“Hey, pal. Why don’t you fuck off? He’s not interested in yer shit so go find a hole in the wall somewhere or use your hands. You got two of em. _So scram._ ” 

Angel Dust gaped at Husk who sounded pretty unruffled by the situation. Or at least, he seemed to be trying to come off that way. His wings had spread open threateningly and his tail was lashing behind him. It also didn’t help that his pupils had turned into slits. 

But even so, he was cleaning a glass and speaking as though he were talking about the weather. 

The demon behind him huffed out a laugh, resting a hand on Angel Dust’s shoulder. Gross. “How about you mind your own business, pussy cat. Or I’ll beat the fuck out of you for getting in my way.” 

This guy sure had balls. Or maybe he was just an idiot. He kept chasing after Angel even though he knew he’d get a bullet between the eyes for his trouble. Sounded pretty stupid to him. 

He stiffened when the hand resting on his shoulder traveled down his back to give his ass a firm squeeze. Okay, that’s it. This guy was gonna get a fist to the face. Or he would have if the sound of glass breaking didn’t throw him off. 

Husk’s paw had tightened to the point of shattering the glass he had been holding, but he didn’t seem to notice as he glared daggers at Angel’s unwanted guest. If looks could kill, the guy would’ve been as dead as a doornail. 

Lips raised into a snarl as Husk bared his teeth at the demon, his fur bristling. “Get yer hands off of him.” 

The demon, looking a little wary at this point, laughed awkwardly. “What? This your bitch? Why don’t we share him?” He raised both hands in the air. “I’ll show him a good time and then you can do whatever the hell you want when I’m finished with him.” 

Angel drummed his fingers on the countertop. This was getting obnoxious. You would think he’d be used to this kind of thing by now, but he wasn’t. Most times Angel could play it off, but wear him down enough and he’d knock your lights out. 

Husk’s face didn’t change as he leaned forward slightly. “He’s not an object you piece of shit.” 

Okay, if he wasn’t surprised by Husk before, he sure was now. Was he really standing up for him? Defending his honor like his sister Molly had when their dad got too riled up over his ‘hobbies’? 

Eye’s practically the size of dinner plates, Angel watched as Husk waved a clawed paw in his general direction. “I thought you were just one of his fucking customers, but I shoulda known you were nothin but trouble. You think cornering him will get you what you want?” He made a fist and slammed it down onto the counter. _“You think you can just force him to give you a good time?”_

The demon beside Angel shifted nervously as if realizing Husk could potentially be a threat. “Look. This is all just a big misunderstanding, yeah? We were just messin around, weren’t we?” He went to place his arm around Angel’s neck, only to pull back when the spider sucked in a harsh breath. 

Reaching up, Angel rubbed at his sore neck with a frown. 

“Angel…?” 

Glancing up, he saw Husk staring at where his hand was running along his furred nape. “Oh, uh. This asshole’s been trying to follow me around for days. He got his hands on me a few times. I’m used ta the rough treatment, so I musta forgot,” he replied with a shrug. 

This didn’t really bother him, seeing as to how a few bruises were nothing compared to him beating the shit outta the guy. Heh. 

It apparently bothered Husk, whose face darkened into an expression so enraged Angel’s heart stuttered in his chest. 

Making his way around the bar, Husk’s eyes never left the demon. It was as if he were stalking prey. 

As he came closer, he growled, _”Look you no good dirty sonofabitch. You put your hands on him again and I’ll show you a world of fucking hurt. You think you’re in hell now, scumbag? Just you wait until I get my hands on you. I’ll make you regret ever even looking at him. Do you fuckin hear me? You’ll be singing prayers to the god you gave up before I’m done with you.”_

When he was a mere foot away, Husk made a move as if to lunge. The bothersome demon recoiled with a shrill scream of terror, scrambling to get away from the angry hellcat. Within the blink of an eye, he was gone. His legs had carried him so fast it was almost impressive. _Almost._

Did that actually happen? Had Husk really just scared off his stalker? 

Shaking his head, Angel twisted around to face Husk who was staring at the door intently as if he were making sure the sleaze bag wasn’t coming back. 

Once he seemed satisfied, Husk let himself relax back into his slouch, muttering, “He’s lucky Vaggie wasn’t here. She’d stab him where the sun don’t fuckin shine.” 

With that, he made his way back behind the bar, his tail swishing behind him. Angel watched him move around, digging through his supplies to grab a shaker and several bottles he couldn’t quite read the labels of. 

Angel Dust may or may not have been shocked into silence. And that in itself was a pretty impressive thing to accomplish. 

Like he’d said before. This hotel was a home away from home to him. Hell, it _was_ his home. Charlie had seen something in him most couldn’t. While other demons saw a slut, she saw potential. More importantly, she saw a friend. 

He wondered if she knew just how much that meant to him. 

He’d even gotten closer to Vaggie, who hadn’t wanted anything to do with him when Charlie had asked him to come aboard. She was the one who challenged him enough to impulsively sign up for rehabilitation in the first place! 

As soon as she’d told Charlie he wasn’t worth the effort, he knew he had to prove her wrong. And also drive her absolutely nuts to get back at her. 

In the end, the bickering molded into a consensual pulling of pigtails. It was fun to rile each other up without trying to actually cause any drama! Well, okay there was drama, but it wasn’t full of spite! No harm done! 

At least not on purpose… 

Speaking of cute girls, he couldn’t forget about Niffty! She was downright precious. Well, maybe not when they’d first met. He didn’t mind being mistaken for a girl, but she really needed to take the biggest chill pill. 

Watching her zip around like a rabid squirrel on crack was pretty fucking weird and getting harped on for the cleanliness of a hotel he hadn't had any interest in didn't help. 

That acid trip aside, after things settled down, Angel had to admit she was adorable. Deranged, but still pretty adorable. 

Alastor had grown on him as well, and he didn’t mean that the way it sounded. It wasn’t as if he had a hard-on for the guy. Well, okay he had at one point, but could you blame him? The guy was intimidating in the best way. Angel liked confident men. 

He and Alastor had probably gotten along the least mostly because of how their personalities clashed. Alastor was repulsed by Angel’s _everything_. It was actually pretty fun to take advantage of his discomfort. Overlord or not, his reactions were priceless! 

It was worth the threats and stab wounds, honestly. Being the hardy spider he is, he could take anything Alastor threw at him and bounce back like a pro. 

Though, while all of that had been fun, their relationship had changed from rough acquaintances to mutual companions. They could sit in a room together and not even have to say anything! It was great. Alastor had even stopped trying to eat Fat Nuggets! 

Husk, on the other hand, had been pretty uninterested in just about everyone since the moment he was magicked into the hotel. He had made it clear that he wasn’t there to make friends. He would begrudgingly do as he was summoned for so long as there was an endless supply of booze. 

To Angel, the guy seemed to be a crotchety old man whose only goal in life was to drink himself to his second death. As it turned out, he was pretty close to the mark. Well, in one way or another. 

Husk obviously had some hangups from his human years that made him want to drown himself in cheap alcohol. Angel Dust could relate, honestly, he could. 

Husk may not have gone into explicit detail of his past, but he’d at least let Angel say his piece and had even offered him a seat if he ever needed to talk. The bar had its regulars by now, but it was nice knowing he would always have a space he could occupy if he was feeling particularly low. 

Angel had even learned about a good number of his hobbies, whether it was through Alastor, Niffty, or Husk’s own drunken rambling. It was nice knowing the grumpy sunofagun had a heart. 

In the end, not only did he feel like he found a place to call home, but he also made some friends along the way. _Genuine_ friends. 

Of course, he had Cherri, but his friendship with her was… different. She was his best friend! They could do just about anything together and she always had his back in a fight. You really couldn’t ask for a better friendship in hell. Trust wasn’t easy to find down here. 

So saying she was his favorite braud was an understatement.

It was just that his friends in the hotel gave off a different kind of energy. Yeah, they were extremely chaotic and fueled his erratic tendencies like Cherri, but at the same time, they offered him a quiet space to be himself. He wasn’t expected to do what he did in hell’s streets. 

In fact, he felt like he did when he was with his sister Molly. 

It was like he’d gained a whole new family. Something he never expected to find in his afterlife. And he wasn’t afraid to admit that he’d fight tooth and nail to keep it. 

He was interrupted from his thoughts when a glass was placed gently on the counter in front of him. 

He felt his eyebrows raise in astonishment at the beautifully colored drink. Vivid hues of orange and red swirling in the Capri styled cocktail glass. It even had a mini umbrella sticking out of the top of it. 

What the hell was this thing…? 

His eyes snapped up to Husk when said winged cat cleared his throat. “It’s a uh… a Sex on the Beach…” With an embarrassed shrug, he tried to look anywhere but at Angel. “It’s not really something I ever had up top… but it’s pretty popular in some of the bars around here.” 

Scratching the back of his neck, Husk muttered, “Not that any of them made it any good… I prefer the cheap shit because it ain’t as hard to fuck it up.” 

Blinking, Angel shook his head in disbelief. Was this really happening? Had Husk actually put in the effort to make something good? Just for him? 

He felt a smile blooming across his face. He was perfectly acquainted with the drink. A good number of demons tended to order it for him to get into his skirt. 

It just never looked this good before. The colors were blended together seamlessly. This was a drink that actually looked appetizing. Not something you could find easily when most people were only drinking to get blackout drunk. 

Picking up the glass, he took a sip from the straw only to close his eyes as the citrusy flavors washed over his tongue. It was so good! This was the most refreshing thing he’s ever had! 

With a pleased hum, he continued to enjoy his treat. Not at all noticing the fond smile Husk was sending his way. 

He was too busy sucking up the remainder of the sweet liquid with his straw. He wanted to savor the tangy beverage, but an iced drink like this needed to be enjoyed quickly or it would get watered down. He didn’t want something so wonderful to go to waste. Especially when it was made especially for him! 

Angel’s eyes fluttered open when he was sure he’d gotten every last drop, only to notice that his head was cradled in his hands. He must have leaned against the countertop at some point… he couldn’t remember. He was honestly too relaxed and happy to care. 

“I take it you liked it?” 

Eyes flickering up, Angel gave Husk a satisfied grin. “That was the best Sex on the Beach I have _ever_ had! And the drink was good too!” He joked with a wink. 

Husk rolled his eyes so hard Angel was surprised they didn’t get lost in the back of his head. He noted with no small amount of pleasure that Husk’s smile stayed firmly in place. “Glad you liked it, kid.” 

The soft murmur of Husk’s voice only seemed to soothe him more as he dropped his head to rest over his arms on the countertop. 

He could really get used to this. An actual family, not like the mess he had with his blood relatives. He could actually say he felt wanted here. 

Closing his eyes, he sighed. “Thanks, Husk. I really needed that.” He wasn’t sure if he was thanking Husk for chasing off his stalker or for the drink. He just knew he was thankful for _Husk._

The feeling of claws running through his hair made his smile turn more than a little dopey, he was sure of that. 

“Anytime, Angel...” 

The sound of distant chatter was more than enough of a warning that dinner had officially come to an end. 

As hotel guests began to filter into and out of the lobby, Angel Dust decided he’d earned himself a break. He could use a nap. 

Even as customers began to surround the bar for their own requests, he couldn’t be bothered to move. He’d already made himself comfortable at this point. 

He wasn’t worried about any of the demons around him trying anything. He knew Husk was keeping a vigilant watch and couldn’t help but smirk at every threatening growl he heard, or the nervous chuckle a demon gave off at what Angel could only assume was because they'd received one of Husk’s harsh glares. 

It was nice to feel safe and cared for. It could get really exhausting to have to look after yourself when you had a career like his. Was this what it felt like to have a dad that gave a shit about you? 

... 

Huh... 

As he was dozing off, he was roused by a hiss that had come from directly in front of him. He couldn’t make out the hushed words, but he knew they were most likely threats from Husk to whoever had gotten too close. 

Yeah... He had the best pops. 

He’d try to keep the daddy jokes to a minimum… 

_Maybe._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took so long...  
> Things have been pretty crazy over here!  
> I really hope this turned out alright.  
> I had it started months ago and I just wanted to finish it, writers block be damned!  
> Again, I'm so so sorry guys!!!  
> [If there are errors or sentences that don't make sense I will try to fix them right away!]


End file.
